For God So Loved The World Series

For God So Loved the World

The Gospel of John

John 3:14-16 (Reading vs. 1-16)

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Grayson Baptist Church - Feb. 10, 2019

(Revised July 10, 2019)

BACKGROUND:

*Tonight, we continue our verse by verse study of John Chapter 3, and we will take a close look at vs. 16. But for context, let's begin by reading vs. 1-16. And as we read, please think about God's great love for us all.

MESSAGE:

*"John 3:16 is one of the best known and most loved verses in the whole Bible. Probably no other single verse of Scripture has led more people to salvation. Martin Luther called John 3:16 'the miniature gospel.' It has also been called 'the gospel in a nutshell,' and 'a love letter from God that was written in blood and addressed to all people.'" (1)

*Max Lucado called John 3:16 "a twenty-six word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. It's brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. If you know nothing of the Bible, start here. If you know everything in the Bible, return here. We all need the reminder." (2)

*John 3:16 is the heart of the Gospel straight from the heart of God. God so loved the world! God wants to touch your life with His love. God wants to transform your life with His love, and He will, -- if you will believe.

1. SO NOTICE FIRST THAT GOD'S LOVE STRETCHES TO THE WIDEST SPAN.

*"For God so loved the world" This word "world" is found 79 times in the Gospel of John. And "this word is not talking about the physical world or the sinful world system. It's talking about the world's people.

*Walter Wilson said: 'No one in all the world could possibly love everyone in the world. In fact, most people find it hard to love all their relatives.' But in spite of our faults, God's love is so great that it's possible for Him to love every person in the whole world! God loves the Jews -- but also the Russians, Chinese, Arabs, Americans, English, Japanese, everyone." (1)

*You have probably heard this truth in the song our daughter Katie and I used to sing every day on the way to Kiddie Korral Day Care. The tune was first written as a marching song during the Civil War. The original words were "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching."

*But after the war, Claire Woolston wrote new words that turned it into one of the all-time favorite Christian songs for children:

"Jesus loves the little children,

All the children of the world.

Red and yellow, black and white,

They are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children of the world." (3)

*Jesus loves the little children and all the big children too. God so loved the world! That means God loves the youngest to the oldest! And He didn't start loving those little babies when they were born. God loved them as my daddy used to say, "when they were just a twinkle in their mother's eye."

*God even loved us before the foundation of the world! "For God so loved the world!" That means God loves Baptists, but He also loves the Methodists, Lutherans and Presbyterians too. He also loves the Muslims we are praying for in Pakistan. And He wants them to get saved by trusting in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

*God loves the best Christian you have ever known. But He also loves the worst sinner you have ever known. God so loved the world! That's why one of the most astounding truths in God's Word is found in Romans 5:6. There God tells us that "when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

*Christ died for the ungodly! Christ died for the worst of the worst: Murderers, thieves, drug addicts, and every other sin we could possibly think of. Christ died for the very people who are trying to lead our nation away from Him. Christ died for the people who are filled with hate for Christians like us.

*Christ died for the ungodly. He did that because "God so loved the world." And joy of joys, this means God loves you and me! That's great, because we needed God's merciful love as much as the worst sinner who has ever lived.

*We can only make it to Heaven because "God so loved the world." Aren't you glad today that God loves you?

*One preacher was talking to some children about the things that money can't buy. He said, "Money can't buy laughter, and it can't buy love." Then to drive his point home, the preacher asked, "What would you do if I offered you a thousand dollars to not love your mother and father?"